Bangladesh-Pakistan relations remained frosty throughout the 15-year rule of deposed premier Sheikh Hasina, but the change of guard in Dhaka has rekindled hopes in Islamabad for the potential normalisation of relations with its erstwhile eastern wing.
With Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus now heading Bangladesh’s interim government, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has expressed the desire to work with him to deepen cooperation between the two countries.
During the Hasina era, such overtures of friendship were always greeted with suspicion and a cold shoulder. However, Pakistan needs some deft and subtle diplomacy as well as clear and attainable objectives while engaging with the new set-up in Dhaka, where the situation remains in flux after the massive student-led protests ended Hasina’s rule on August 5, forcing her to flee to neighbouring India.
As Bangladesh’s interim government is trying to restore stability and order in the country, indications are that early elections are not on the table – at least for now. And whenever the next general elections are held, they will likely bring Hasina’s rivals to power.
Dhaka watchers in Pakistan say Hasina’s departure has opened a window for a new push for improvement of relations between the two populous Muslim-majority nations, which share a lot in common and intertwined history.
Tumultuous past
Sheikh Hasina was a hawk when it came to relations with Pakistan. According to a former Pakistani diplomat who served in Dhaka, Hasina and her Awami League carried the bitterness of the tragic events that led to Bangladesh’s independence in 1971 after a bloody civil war and military intervention by India.
Hasina’s father, Sheikh Mujibur Rehman, emerged as the face of the independence movement in what was then East Pakistan, which became Bangladesh after India directly aided rebels challenging Islamabad’s rule.
Mujibur Rehman – anointed as the founder of Bangladesh – was assassinated in a bloody military coup on August 15, 1975, along with several family members. But Sheikh survived along with her husband and a sister as they were in Europe at that time. She and her family took asylum in India and returned to Bangladesh in 1981 to lead the Awami League.
In Pakistan, Hasina is overwhelmingly viewed as a staunch Indian ally who spurned Islamabad’s efforts to broaden ties between the two countries whenever she was in power – first between 1996-2001 and then 2009-2024. All through her rule, bilateral relations between Islamabad and Dhaka remained frozen, especially during her second stint as the prime minister. People-to-people contact remained at a bare minimum because of the visa restrictions on Pakistanis.
Frosty diplomatic relations even resulted in the suspension of direct flights between Dhaka and Karachi. Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) stopped flying to Dhaka in 2018 due to alleged harassment of its crew, while Bangladesh’s Biman Airlines wrapped up flight operations to Pakistan even earlier.
There has also been no top government-level visit between the two countries for years now, and the foreign secretary consultations remain suspended since 2016. Similarly, the Joint Economic Commission between the two countries also remains inactive for years now.
In regional diplomacy, Hasina-ruled Dhaka put its weight behind India. The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation’s (SAARC) summit – a biennial event – was last held in Nepal in 2014. The next summit, which was to be hosted by Pakistan in 2016 – could not take place after India pulled out of it in the wake of a militant attack in the India-administered Jammu and Kashmir region.
Bangladesh, along with Afghanistan and Bhutan, also pulled out of the summit under the pretext of security concerns.
Relations between the two countries also deteriorated as Hasina’s government executed several pro-Islamabad Bangladeshi politicians who stood for a united Pakistan during Bangladesh’s 1971 independence war.
Pakistanis view 1971 as a tragic event, and there is a growing realisation that former East Pakistan was treated unfairly.
From the Pakistani point-of-view, atrocities were committed from both sides during the war, including large-scale killing of non-Bengalis by militants. But allegations of mass rape and killings against the Pakistan Army remain exaggerated.
However, Bangladesh accuses that millions of Bengalis were killed by the Pakistan Army – a charge fiercely disputed by Islamabad.
Pakistani diplomats allege that Hasina’s closeness with New Delhi and the overall Indian influence on Bangladesh prevented Dhaka from normalising relations with Pakistan over the years.
A new beginning?
Islamabad wants to bury the hatchet of the 1971 event and sees a huge reservoir of “love and friendship” for Pakistan in the hearts of many Bangladeshis – from the man on the street to leading businesspeople, experts, professionals and politicians.
There are two distinct streams in Bangladeshi politics. One – represented mainly by the Awami League – remains pro-India, while the other stands bitterly opposed to the perceived Indian hegemony in their country.
The anti-India sentiment was also reflected in the recent student-led protests. Bangladesh’s nationalists, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of Khaleda Zia and the rightwing Jamaat-e-Islami, were at the forefront in criticising Hasina’s government for its closeness with New Delhi.
The BNP, being one of the key mainstream parties, not only remained critical of Indian interference in Bangladesh’s internal affairs but also gave calls for the boycott of Indian products.
After the ouster of Hasina’s government, attacks on local Hindus, their businesses and places of worship can be seen in the context of the prevalent anti-India sentiment in Bangladesh, though the new government moved quickly to protect the minorities.
The civil society also took the initiative, and many Muslims, including seminary students, protected Hindu neighbours and their property.
While anti-India sentiment runs deep in Bangladesh politics, Pakistan’s efforts to improve ties with Dhaka should not be based on its protracted rivalry with New Delhi.
Instead, Pakistan should focus on the shared cultural and religious values and opportunities to boost trade, business and investment between the two countries.
For Bangladesh, India would remain an important regional country and a business partner as the two countries share a more than 4,000 km-long border.
Although India, under its Hindu nationalist leader Narendra Modi, has tried to isolate Pakistan in the region by exerting influence on all the SAARC member countries, including Bangladesh, this does not mean that Islamabad and Bangladesh cannot build ties on their own merit.
Pakistan’s diplomatic message should be simple: it remains a trusted friend of the people of Bangladesh and supports its unity, sovereignty and integrity at every forum.
Islamabad should also unilaterally support Dhaka in its regional disputes, especially on the long-standing water-sharing issue with India.
With the new military-backed popular political order in Bangladesh firmly in place, now there is room for Pakistan to initiate baby steps to build trust and improve relations with Dhaka.
Pakistan’s seasoned diplomats say that ease of access to visa services and the boost of people-to-people contacts should be the top priorities. At the same time, the resumption of direct flights between Karachi and Dhaka is also the need of the hour.
Cultural and youth exchanges, joint film, television and other media ventures are all low-hanging fruits. Boosting trade and business relations provides a win-win situation for both countries.
Yes, Pakistan and Bangladesh do not need to go the extra mile to normalise their relations. They have just to focus on the basics and aim to become equal friends and partners. For this, the two countries need not undermine their relations with another country.
